New SANFL rules for Crows

Adelaide will be limited to recruiting “top-up” players aged under 23 for the 2015 SANFL season.

And the Crows, who last weekend finished their first season in the competition in eighth position, can no longer source players from SANFL clubs.

The SANFL today announced these and other changes to the Adelaide and Port Adelaide football clubs’ player regulation rules in the State League competition.

The changes, ratified by the SA Football Commission, have been finalised after the league’s ongoing review of the regulations for Adelaide’s SANFL team and the restructured Port Adelaide Magpies.

Crows GM Football Administration Phil Harper said the Club had opposed the age limit but was still confident of finding suitable players.

“We didn’t want an age limit because that reduces the pool of available players to us,” Harper said.

“But now we know the rules we will be working to establish a strong group of development players from country and community clubs.”

All non-AFL aligned SANFL clubs were involved in the review process, with the eight teams provided with an opportunity to recommend changes throughout the consultation period.

Adelaide and Port Adelaide also provided feedback on the proposed regulations during the review.

2015 PLAYER REGULATION CHANGES

To be eligible for inclusion on the PAMFC or AFC Supplementary List, a person must be under the age of 23 before January 1 the year in which the player is included on the Supplementary List. A player may play as a top-up player past the age of 23 as long as he is first listed prior to the age of 23. Adelaide and Port Adelaide will be able to retain current contracted players already over the age of 23.

PAMFC & AFC cannot contract players for more than one year. This will not impact on current players contracted for more than one season.

Players included on the list of AFC or PAMFC cannot be recruited from outside of South Australia. This rule will not be retrospective, allowing those already contracted to Adelaide and Port to continue playing next year.

Remove the option for AFC to source top-up players from SANFL clubs. From 2015, Adelaide won’t include players from rival SANFL clubs, with all top-up players to be recruited from Community football clubs.

Following the changes for 2015, the player regulations will continue to be reviewed by the SANFL, its clubs and AFC and PAFC on an annual basis.

The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs